By nature we humans know that we are not perfect. Deep down we know that God is righteous and holy. So, naturally, there is a human inclination to provide a buffer between us and The Holy and Righteous God. Consider this, in the Roman Catholic Church, the return of Jesus Christ is one of judgment.  He bears the sword and will strike down anyone who has not lived up to His standards.  This Judge and King is terrifying.  To consider that Christ will return one day to enact His wrath on mankind leaves us with no protection.  The Law demands too much from us.  So we are shoved by the Law into the sword of the Judge.  Enter Mary who pleads to the King on our behalf.  Mary becomes the buffer, the R2D2 that stops the trash-compacting walls of the Law and divine judgment.  She eases our fears. She calms our woes.  She hears our cries.  The problem with this picture is that it is not biblical.  This is a false safety.  It feels nice.  The sentiment speaks to our emotional nature.  Yet a liver shiver is not our lasting safety.

In fact, American Christianity has once again led themselves back into the same error that has been around for centuries.  It’s not a new error; same dough, different pan.  Safety is felt in yet another leaven by another name.   The new verbiage for the safe zone between the ever closing walls of the Law and a righteous King is now a “relationship” or a “walk” or “faith life” or “being on fire”.  Surely Jesus wouldn’t smite His chums.  It’s no wonder people gauge their level of Christianity by how much time they spend in the Word or how long they hang out at their places of worship or the emotional strings that are triggered by music/pastor/devotionals.  Desire for reassurance seeks to take a tangible form.  The desire for peace from the Law leads them right back to it.  Once again this is not biblical.  It is a half-baked loaf from the mixing of Law and Gospel.  It is rich and sweet to the taste but leads to spiritual diabetes.

This is the effect of misunderstanding the Sacraments.  This is the effect of misunderstanding the Divine Service of God to us.  This is the effect of not properly distinguishing Law and Gospel. The Law takes many forms.  The Gospel takes many less, but no less effective.  Life giving bread is made without yeast of the Pharisees.  You have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.  Your relationship with God is more like Edmond Dantes and Fernand Mondego.  You have betrayed to get the girl because you think you’re the better man only to treat the bride like another trinket.  You do this each and every day.  Your relationship stinks because you stink. There is no safe zone.  There is no buffer.  Prepare to die.  This is the Law and it is in full effect. Thus God incarnates, born of the Virgin Mary.  He suffers your fate.  He pays the price for His betrayers.  The tyrant goes free because of the blood of the Lamb. Jesus came to save you because you need more than a comrade.

How do we know we are saved?  Is it Mary who reassures us? Is it a relationship?  No, we receive the Word.  God gives tangible promises; the cool trickle of forgiveness on our head, the taste of eternal life on our tongue, the pastor’s voice of God in our mind.  You, O betrayer, are forgiven.  This is not about a relationship or a safe zone.  This is about being weighed, measured, and found wanting but also being made right with God through His promises; promises we touch and taste and hear.

Get over yourself.  God does not want to simply have a relationship with you like a high school sweetheart. The “relationship with Jesus” jargon is the evangelical version of Rome’s Mary. To be in Christ is so much more. He has brought you back from the dead. By His Word He makes you a good Christian. He does this in baptism and absolution and the Lord’s Supper because HE ACTUALLY SAID SO. You can skip with Jesus across fields of flowers if you want.

As for me, I have a Savior.

“So long as they believe.” “So long as you go to church.” These two statements can be heard in churches across the US.  They both represent two ideas in theology.  More often than not they are set against each other like two boxers in a ring with Christians rooting for one to win.  As much as we hear how opposed one is to the other, we need both and we need both to work together.  We can think of them as a hand and a sword.

The first fancy term we’ll use is fides qua (FEE-des KWA).  This is faith that holds onto God’s Word, the faith which believes.  It’s like a hand that clings to God’s promises.  This is what makes a Christian a Christian.  So when someone says, “So long as they are Christian” this is what they mean.  So long as they have faith (fides qua) then they are saved.

The next fancy term we will use is the fides quae (FEE-des KWAY).  This is what someone refers to when they say “The Faith” as in “keep the faith”, i.e. the faith which is believed.  This is like the sword that does the cutting.  When people see it, foes tremble and friends rejoice.

Here’s how it often plays out in churches today.  Some people demand we go by the book (quae) and if you go by the book, all is well.  Some people demand that as long as you are in the library (qua) that’s good enough.  Why is this a problem?

Let’s take fides qua first.  If all we need is faith and that’s good enough then we run into some problems. Let’s say a missionary is sent out by a coalition of churches from different denominations.  Let’s say some people are converted.  Great! Now what are they taught about baptism?  Is it the person’s outward expression of an inward change (ornament) or is it God’s physical means of delivering forgiveness (sacrament)? Is the Lord’s Supper only a remembrance meal or is it also the body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins?  If we answer “who cares” to these questions then we are disregarding the Word of the Lord.  This is unfaithful (Matthew 28:19-20). If all we care about is “that they have faith” then we are basically saying we are a limp wrist without any sword in hand to defend off devilish error.  Doctrine is our protection against wolves in sheep’s clothing. Not only that but saying “so long as they have Jesus” elevates ‘having faith’ over and above what it is we actually believe in! We end up having faith in faith instead of THE faith. It’s like being on a leaky raft adrift at sea and the guy next to you says, “At least we’re not drowning.”

Fides qua (the hand) is more popular in our society today.  So when we Lutherans say our sword (fides quae) is symbolized in the Lutheran Confessions, we are looked on as bullies because no one else has a sword. Yet when danger to souls and consciences rears its ugly head, people come running to a place of security.  Those churches that have abandoned doctrine for unity may gain in numbers for a time but history reveals that those are the churches that vanish into the world. Those churches that have given up doctrine for unity’s sake often melt away in a blob of moral generalities, looking and sounding just like non-Christians. In a culture living in constant change and fads we desperately need to trust in God’s unchanging Word.

So what about those fides quae only guys? Those who teach only fides quae believe it doesn’t matter if you have faith so long as you are here. So long as you go by the rules, you’re in.  So long as everyone can see the sword on the mantle, we’re safe.  So having fides quae alone means someone has taped off a corner of the library and claims it is the only true library and the rest is a pile of trash. In this mindset you’re saved if you’re lucky enough to be standing on the correct side of the line. Obviously this is wrong. We are saved by grace through faith. Therefore one is not saved because they always go to church or because they are Lutheran. God gives us faith to trust in His Word, all of it. This means that there are Christians who are saved by God’s Word across all Christian denominations.

The Hand of faith (qua) and the Sword of doctrine (quae) were meant to go together.  Faith trusts in all of God’s teachings. Did God create the world in 6 days? Can Jesus be in multiple places at once? Does God predestine people or do we choose to be saved? These are important questions and there are many more. Faith can only come by hearing the Word (Romans 10:14-15). Once saved, God expects us to keep His Word holy (Romans 16:17 and also see the 2^nd petition of the Lord’s Prayer in Luther’s Small Catechism). That means that there is more to God’s Word than “Jesus died and rose for you”. Now, everything in scripture points to Jesus and His work but God offers more.  Faith grasps all the promises of God.  The hand clings to the sword.  Through this combination God gives strength to faith and swings this double edged sword to defend us and attack the evil one.  Do we throw the sword away so we all get along and don’t hurt people’s feelings? If we do that, there is no way to know what God’s will is or isn’t. How will we know if we are teaching what God wants? The devil is happy to define God’s Word for you. Pure doctrine, teaching, is our protection against false teaching and the devil. Unity in the church without obeying all of God’s Word is not Christian unity but unity of this world.

Do you know what you believe about Baptism?  Do you know what you believe about the Lord’s Supper?  Do you know the Ten Commandments by heart? Do you understand what the Lord’s Prayer is saying? What do you confess in the Creeds? Is a pastor’s pronouncement of forgiveness God’s forgiveness?  All of these things Luther considered the essential basics of God’s Word. They are our Sword. I am sure you have faith but what is your faith in? Open your Small Catechism.  Hold it tight and read it. Keep it close at hand as a sure defense against the devil and false teachings. As we do our faith grips tight to our sure and certain hope of God’s promises. Unless of course you’d rather fight the devil with your bare hands…

I’m exiting the freeway and the off ramp has a red light.  As I’m waiting for the light to turn green I look around.  Along the off ramp is a bunch of trash.  Cigarette butts are all over the place.  Some soda cans and retired big gulps are here and there.  There is all sorts of trash along the side of the road and I can’t help but wonder what these people are thinking.  What motivates someone to use the freeway off ramp as their own personal trash can?

I’m sure there are a variety of reasons but I’m going to stick to one, “Someone else will clean it up.”  Knowing that tax money will be spent, knowing that some poor slob or someone who cares about the state of the off ramp will come by and clean it up, they toss their garbage out the car window without a second thought. No big deal.  Someone else will clean it up.

Do we do this in the church?  Is there a “Someone else will” mentality?  Is this the mode of operation for our generation?  So there’s an announcement, “LWML is getting together his Sunday…” and some of the ladies might think, “Someone else will be there.”  Pastor says that bible study is important. “Someone else will go.”  Stewardship reports that we’re not meeting the budget, “Someone else will give.”  Someone hasn’t been around for a couple months, “Someone else will call or visit.”  Why is it someone else?  Are we too busy?  Are we too tired?  Are we too lazy? Here’s the reality, what we spend our time on most, what we think about most, what we will change our calendar around for most, that is our priority.  So the question is this, do our priorities line up with God’s priorities?  Will we count on this mysterious “someone else” so that what we find most important is accomplished? You and I, we are selfish sinners.  Our priorities are messed up.  So often we expect someone else to do the job and then we blame someone else when it’s not. If you are not willing to do something about it (whatever “it” is) then do not blame someone else. If you expected “someone else” to do it and did nothing about it, you are just as guilty.

Jesus condescended to our human level. Can you imagine what the world looked like through His human and divine eyes?  It would be like pulling up on one of these onramps and you couldn’t get through because of all the garbage. There’s an adulterer over there and a liar over there.  On the other side is a thief and right next to the murderer is a drunkard.  Piles and piles of sin and decay were strewn all around.  Our own works are like dirty rags (Isaiah 64:6) and the things we place over Jesus and His work are garbage (Philippians 3:8).  As He saw our death in sin, Jesus didn’t look for someone else.  He is the “someone else”. Where we looked inwards, He gave.  Where we served ourselves, He washed feet and fed the hungry and healed the sick and had no place to lay His head. This divine “someone else” came here to pour out His gifts of mercy and forgiveness and it all came through an outpouring of blood.  It was there as He poured Himself out that we were cleansed.  Through His precious blood we were made clean.  Through this “someone else” comes life even to those who would litter on a freeway off ramp, who would ignore pleas for help, who would place the secular and temporal over the sacred and eternal.  It is only through Jesus and Him alone that we can once again be forgiven.  It is through this “someone else” that we can be motivated to do anything good.  Through Jesus the Christ you are forgiven.  It could only be Him the entire time.  He changes our gaze away from our belly buttons and toward the cross where we see what someone else can do and continues to do.  Through Jesus you are now “someone else” who forgives, who prioritizes what is holy, who does what is good, right and salutary in faith toward God and fervent love toward one another.  All of this because, thank God, someone else did for you.

Rev. Nava

In April 2014, some 19 year old punk decided to urinate in the Mt. Tabor reservoir in Portland.  He was caught on a surveillance video.  The reservoir shut down and flushed that particular reservoir reserve, 38 million gallons of water.  The reservoir decided that they would rather get rid of the millions of gallons water than to allow people to drink possibly contaminated water.

Each church body has its own reservoir of theology, doctrine.  Historically, Lutherans have not communed (a banner of fellowship) with many others because the teachings on the Lord’s Supper were completely different.  It’s why the German Lutherans came to Missouri in the first place!  Two opposing teachings on God’s Word cannot both be correct.  At least one is a contamination of God’s Word.  Yet there are some Lutheran denominations that not only have no problem with two opposing views of God’s Word but in fact, they embrace it.  Pure, clear, refreshing doctrine is allowed to be contaminated and then it’s celebrated when people drink it!

If the church allows a reservoir to be contaminated it can drive people to despair and doubt.  Imagine someone who is receiving communion in a joint communion service of two denominations that do not teach the same thing.  One says you taste forgiveness and the other says you don’t.  After he communed, what did he receive?  Was he faithful to God’s Word?  Is God’s Word a solid rock I stand on or play-do that I mold as I see fit?  This and many more problems arise because the reservoir of God’s Word is contaminated.

Scripture is very serious on pure teaching:

Romans 16:17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

Matthew 28: 19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Doctrine, dogma, catechism, theology, these are all words we use in the church.  Essentially they all mean the same thing; teaching.  Not referencing just any teaching, they are the teachings of God Himself in His Word.  So doctrine, dogma, catechism, theology, they are the pure, life giving, spiritually refreshing reservoir of God. It is of more value than anything on this planet because it is what gives eternal life, it is what lasts.

There comes a time when contamination is poured into doctrine.  Sometimes even we Lutherans think we can dilute a contamination with our Lutheran mindset.  Contamination is contamination.  We can either look away as we drink it up or we can flush it out.  The world does not understand the importance of keeping God’s teaching pure.  They see it as a waste and as unloving.  What could be more loving than desiring to give God’s Word, clear, free of impurities, removing doubt and despair because it clearly provides the Water of Life?  We want everyone to drink of the same reservoir but we will not tolerate others contaminating God’s teachings.  If we allow contamination then we show a flippant disregard for God’s Word and the people He seeks to save through His Word.

Our Confessions, the Book of Concord, are a litmus test of purity.  As members of the LCMS, we confess that the teachings of the Confessions are the proper explanation and presentation of God’s Word.  So we could go to any reservoir and, using these Confessions, check to see if it is contaminated or not.  When we find another reservoir that is pure, we are joyous to join these reservoirs together.  For those that are contaminated, they first need flushing.  By doing this, God’s Word remains pure and His name is kept Holy even among us!

From Luther’s Small Catechism, Lord’s Prayer – First Petition

Hallowed be Thy name.

What does this mean?–Answer.

God’s name is indeed holy in itself; but we pray in this petition that it may become holy among us also.

How is this done?–Answer.

When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we as the children of God also lead holy lives in accordance with it. To this end help us, dear Father in heaven. But he that teaches and lives otherwise than God’s Word teaches profanes the name of God among us. From this preserve us, Heavenly Father.

Jesus entered Jerusalem during the period of the Passover. This was a time for the Jews to recall God’s saving work recorded in Exodus. The Passover meal is recorded in Exodus 12. So when Jesus was in the upper room with His disciples, He was taking the old meal, a shadow, and in its place gave a new meal, Himself as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The meal of the first Maundy (Holy) Thursday is one we partake of every week.

Many Christians find the connection to our Jewish roots (via the same faith Abraham had) fascinating. Sadly the “natural branches”, that is the Jews, were broken off of the root when they disbelieved God’s Word and rejected the Son of God (Romans 11:20). Even so, Christians, as a wild branch, have been grafted onto the root who is Jesus (John 15:5) by faith. Christians are a part of Israel because of faith in God’s Word. It’s the way it has always been (Romans 9:6-8).

There is a meal that is thoroughly Jewish that celebrates the Passover. This meal is known as the Seder meal. It contains a structured order for celebrating God’s work in the Exodus with certain cups of wine to recall certain events and eating parsley dipped in salt water to remember the bitterness of the journey and the many tears shed among other things. With our Jewish connection, Christians see this meal as theirs and many Christians and congregations celebrate this meal each year. Some may even use it as an evangelism tool to bring in Jews to the church.

There are problems when Christians celebrate this Seder meal. Firstly, we are told that this is the meal that Jesus Himself celebrated. There is no historic evidence of this. The first full record of the Seder meal as we know it was found around the turn of the first millennium, 1000 AD, from a rabbi’s prayer book. There is zero evidence that Jesus celebrated the Seder meal. Secondly Jesus Himself said, “do this” not “do this and that”. We have what we need to know about the true and final Passover meal from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and 1 Corinthians. Finally, the Seder meal commemorates the Passover meal from Exodus, the lamb’s blood that was placed over the doors so that the angel of death would pass over and spare those inside. Jesus is The Lamb of God who causes the final death to pass over God’s people with His own blood. The Passover meal was a shadow looking forward to Jesus. The better meal, the New Covenant, is the one Jesus Himself gave on the night when He was betrayed because through that meal we not only remember but we actually receive forgiveness as we eat body-bread and blood-wine.

If Christians celebrate the Seder what are we doing? We are celebrating the shadow instead of the Son. We are misleading people away from Christ and into a human invention. We are disregarding Jesus’ own words. Here’s the better thing, attend a service on Maundy Thursday and celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Use the service from your hymnal. Follow the pattern of God’s people for the past 2,000 years. This is good, right and salutary so to do.

Rev. Nava

For more information read this:

http://www.gloriachristi.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/gardpassoverseder.pdf

When Old Is New

    The cultural pendulum is always in a state of flux.  In one generation it swings toward ideas that are foreign to the one before.  In the next generation it heads back to whence it came.  In my generation there are kids who are picking up what has been set aside as old and making it new again.  Beards are in.  Flat caps are in.  What was collecting dust is being rediscovered.  What was old is now new again.

This happened in Luther’s day too.  The Church had been choked by the weeds of money and false teachings like purgatory.  When Luther saw the ancient architecture, that is the Church, he did not want to tear the whole thing down and start from scratch, like some others wanted to do.  Instead he wanted to clean it up and restore what was being done by the saints of old.  He didn’t throw out the liturgy.  He removed the errors and brought the church back into connection with what the saints had done.  He didn’t remove the robes and the church year.  He brought it back to a place where the Gospel was made clear and the life of the Church in Christ was evident day by day and year by year.  What was old had become new again in the Reformation for the sake of the Gospel.

Today we are told that we need to amp up our Church service in order to cater to the appetite of the culture.  We are told that the worship service needs to be in tandem with the cultural pendulum in order to save souls.  Yet time and again history shows us that the pendulum is ready to come off its hinges.  The Church should not parrot or cater to the culture.  When She does, She is not heard because she is just another voice in a chorus of people who want to sing the tune of the day.  Although it will sound radical to a culture in a state of change, the Church sings to her own ancient tune.  We continue to use these antiquated liturgies because they have been carefully and lovingly passed on to us from one generation of saints to the next.  They are woven together by the enduring Word of God and not by fading fads.  They point to Christ and His forgiveness generation after generation.  By God’s grace, each age realizes these ageless truths are theirs too.  Each generation is reformed from individual cravings into the image of Christ’s Body.  Each generation needs to clean the ancient architecture from the gaudy yearnings of the world and submit to something so much greater, so much older than anything else this world can offer.  Sometimes that means that when something is introduced we hear that words, “Well, that’s new to me.”  even when it has been done by the Church for hundreds upon hundreds of years.

I don’t mean to claim that old ways are better because they are old.  What we must ask in our day are these questions together; is this consistent with what the bride of Christ has always done? Does this make the Gospel clear?  Will this endure for our children and grandchildren?  The Divine Service we use answers yes to all of these questions.  Yet we discover this for ourselves generation after generation.  What is old, ancient even, is made new, rediscovered, reformed by Christian after Christian and it will continually be made new in each generation until Christ returns.

1 Peter 1:24-25 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Rev. Nava

Our very own Pastor Nava was on KFUO’s Reformation Rush Hour with Rev. Craig Donofrio.  He plugged the Catechism Convocation and shared some insights on the office of widows in the Church.  He begins his interview at around the 18 minute mark.  You can find the audio file online here:

Everyone is different. Even so, the information included here applies to all men (and heck, even women). We will first begin with what being a man is not. Then we will venture in true manliness. I hope you’re taking notes (taking notes of manly things is, in fact, manly).

                What makes an un-man? There are a multitude of characteristics that change a man into an un-man. The first characteristic is passing the blame. For example, when a man says something like, “My wife drove me to this point” or even, “The devil made me do it” that makes what should be a man into an un-man. Another characteristic is bullying. An un-man will see someone who is “lesser” and proceed to bully that person with language, indirect action or inaction, or even physical aggression for a false sense of superiority.  The list of the un-man is virtually limitless when one begins to consider these characteristics. A fair way to sum up the un-man is a person who places himself above all others. This infantile and selfish human being does not look to the good of his neighbor but rather sees the neighbor as a means to his own end. The un-man is essentially a spoiled, entitled brat.

Now we proceed to the characteristics of being a real man. The real man is humble. He does not toot his own horn but rather regards others as greater than himself. The real man is one who is sacrificial. He lives to provide for others. He is even willing to die to protect them. He will give the shirt off his back and go the extra mile even for a stranger. The real man is able to take it on the chin and move on. He does not go looking for a fight nor does he react to a cheap shot in kind. When he does fight, he does so for those who are unable to fight for themselves. He is not afraid to speak the truth. He does not speak the truth in a way to build himself up or tear others down. He speaks the truth to defend what is good, right, and salutary. The real man is truly a role model for the young and un-man to follow. He is respectfully remembered by all.

Reality reveals that you are an un-man. You have not been faithful with your time, your money, or your thoughts. You have sought out praise from others. You have schemed a comfortable life for yourself above all. You have not been a good role model. You do not go the extra mile. Instead you speed on the freeway to get home as soon as you can and all those others on the road are “in your way”. When someone rails against you, maybe even in the comment section of the local newspaper, you respond with even more negativity to justify yourself. You, yes you, are the un-man.

The un-man started with Adam. When caught by God with forbidden fruit he points to his wife and says, “This wife, the one you gave me, she made me do it” and then in turn she says, “the devil made me do it”. Since that Fall we have all been un-men, un-women. It is inherent in our Fallen DNA. All men, all women, we are all totally unreal.  We are not perfect.

In the person of Jesus the uncreated second person of the Trinity entered humanity as a human being; fully God and fully man. This God-Man had to eat like you. He had to sleep like you. He was even tempted like you in every way. Unlike you, He did not sin. He was humble. He spoke the truth in love. He healed and fed and brought back from the dead. Jesus was more human than even we. Jesus is a real man. What did this perfect human do? He sacrificed His own perfection to take on your ungodliness, the very thing that makes you an un-man. He took it on the chin, in His hands, and His feet. He suffered and died so you don’t have to suffer eternal punishment. He descended into hell to proclaim victory (Colossians 2:15; 1 Peter 3:18-19). He rose from death with His body still showing the marks of His sacrifice. He spearheads the way into the Real World. What does He require of you, O un-man? Nothing. There is nothing you can offer that He doesn’t already have. He is God in the flesh who died and rose to make you a real (hu)man too. By His own gift of faith you will trust this promise.  Jesus is not only a role model. Good men will come and go. Jesus is the real man who pays for all of humanities un-manliness to make even us into real men & women too.

Rev. Jaime Nava

Imagery written by the young Johann Gerhard produced an image in my mind.  He says, because we, the Church, have been clothed with the Sun of righteousness, “see to it then that you tread the moon, that is, all the earthly things, underfoot and esteem all these things little in comparison to the good things of heaven.”  As I meditated on this a thought occurred to me.  We do not stand from the lofty height of the moon to peer down on the world from time to time.  Although we are no longer of the world, we are still in it.  And yet, at the same time, we tread the moon.  By grace, we overlook the constant change with our eyes fixed on the Author and Perfector of our faith.  So we stand in a peculiar way.  It’s a foolish stance.  Our feet are on the moon and our head is in the earth.  Although we tread the moon we ponder the earth.  Although we dwell in heaven through the sacrifice of Christ we work and die in ashes and dust.  By the Holy Spirit, we are flipped on our heads, upside-down to the looks of this world, and yet our feet are washed by the servant who sits at the right hand of God.

We do not live fully on the moon alone.  We do not purchase a secluded island, gather only Christians, and live in seclusion from the cares of earth.  We do not dwell in heaven alone where we are lords of all subject to none.  If we attempt to tread the moon with our head in the clouds of heaven our neighbor suffers.  God’s will is not done.

If we tread only where there is ash and dust, to which we return, then there is a danger to confuse the cares of this world with everlasting realities.  The Gospel merely becomes a message to help the hungry and the incarnation, God condescending to us, is not considered.  Then we end up seeking our best life in the shifting sands of this wilderness.

So we see a woman who has children out of wedlock.  She has had many husbands and yet none are around to help.  Her life is flipped upside by the Word of God and she receives peace beyond comprehension through the foolishness of what was preached to her.  Her care and concern is for her children.  She works multiple jobs in the nitty gritty of this ashen world so that her children will eat.  More often than not her mind is in the earth where her daily concerns dwell, those looming trolls that that turn to stone in the light of God’s truth and become a story from our past.  And there’s the beauty.  The ash and dust to which we return, the daily concerns, that is not where we tread.  Instead we tread the moon, the heavenly places far above the world.  So this same woman can find comfort as she treads.  She can find hope that her feet are led by God’s light.  She can rest, even in darkness, that the light of the World is with her always.  Although the transitory world looms so large her feet are planted secure in the heavens where she can tread in peace.

Be of courage.  Although the grit of this world sticks in our minds we tread a place far above it all.  Although it seems upside down to be sacrificial, to gain courage from suffering, to turn the other cheek, we stand secure in God’s realm and tread that place with Him.  As Johann Gerhard said, “see to it then that you tread the moon…and esteem all these things little in comparison to the good things of heaven.”

Rev. Jaime Nava

quote from:

Sacred Meditations by Johann Gerhard

A nice post on the same stuff:

Picture this! Johann Gerhard and the Church

The Roman Catholic Church has what is called Canon Law.  It is the laws by which that church body is governed.  It defines the hierarchy.  It regulates the people.  It administrates and oversees the polity of the church.  What’s the point? Canon Law is meant for the common good of people.  It guides the people on how to live.  It governs who is in and who is out.  How does the Roman church enforce this kind of law?  To be honest, I have no idea.  I guess they eventually kick you out after so many strikes.  Maybe they make people feel really guilty.

The Roman Church does not have a monopoly on Canon Law.  You can find it in pulpits across America, across denominations.  One church body denounces all things that even resemble a Roman Catholic Church because of Canon Law and then they turn around and throw their own Canon Law at people.  Sadly, from so many pulpits, the emphasis is law, law, law.  “To be a Good Christian you have to quit smoking.” Law. “To be a good Christian you have to quit drinking.” Law. “Be a better spouse.” Law.  “Be on fire for God.”  Law. “Give your life to Jesus.” Law. “Feel the Spirit in your heart.”  Law.  Who is the subject of every sentence of the Law? YOU.  What are the verbs?  DO. HAVE. BE. FEEL.  The Law is good but the Church is not about what you do for God.  You should not be going to church to hear how to fix your marriage.  You can find a secular psychologist to do as good or, sadly, an even better job.  You should not be going to church to find seven ways to control your anger.  You can count to ten for that.  So why do so many pulpits laud Canon Law?  Canon Law is misused to give reassurance of salvation.  People look to Canon Law for comfort, to see if they are “in”.  We wrongly trust that somehow we can keep ourselves in the Church.  If Canon Law is what the Church gives, we are pitiable and lost.

What is it that the Law does according to God’s Word?  It curbs us from making poor decisions.  It reveals our sin.  It guides us as Christians.  Jesus says that all the Law and the prophets are summed up in this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.”  The Law is good.  It is God’s will.  It is meant to govern and guide mankind.  It defines the hierarchy.  It regulates the people.  It protects the weak and the poor.  An honest gaze into the mirror of the Law reveals, with crystal clarity, that you and I do not measure up (Romans 2:12, 3:23).  Here’s the problem, by nature you hate God (Ephesians 2:3; James 4:4).  By nature you hate your neighbor.  By nature you are guilty of breaking all of God’s Law.  You do not measure up to what God demands.  On your own, you never will.  If you think you do measure up, you’re deluded.  That’s the problem when the Law is the center and end of theology.  We end up deluded or depressed.

Law comes naturally because the work of the Law is written on our hearts (Romans 2:15).  The church is not without Law because God’s Word is not without Law.  In fact, true and bitter Law leads us to desire real and sweet Gospel.  This is the reality; the Law serves the Gospel.  It points to the Gospel.  It kidnaps you, in terror, into the van of condemnation only to drive you to the freedom of the Gospel.  The center of the Church is not the Law.

The Gospel is the center and circumference of the Church.  The Good News of Jesus Christ who was born into the world, who was tempted in every way we have been tempted yet is without sin (Hebrews 4:15), who obediently suffered on the cross, who died, who proclaimed to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19), who was raised to life and by His authority now sends men into the world to baptize and teach (Matthew 28:19-20), this is the axle around which we hang our spokes.  This is the ruler we use to measure the Bride of Christ.  This Canon Gospel is what Sunday morning is all about.  Every Sunday we publicly confess our sins because we are condemned by the Law.  God declares you forgiven through your pastor.  Canon Gospel.  We watch as an infant feels the compassion of God in liquid form received by faith alone.  Canon Gospel.  We swallow down, whole, the body and blood of Christ in bread and wine so that, despite our rebellion, we have no doubt that we are forgiven, that we are “in”.  Canon Gospel.  There is no canon that can measure up to this one.  It is what defines the Church.  By God’s mercy, it is what you called your pastor to declare.  It defines who we are solely by what Jesus Christ has done and finished for us (John 19:30).  Canon Gospel, the central message of the Church, is how an external God, His external Word, His external promise of forgiveness is made internal through the blood of Jesus by God’s gift of faith.  He does it over and over and over again.  In Canon Gospel, the subject of the verb is always God.  He forgives.  He loves.  He provides. He does.  We are passive recipients.  Church is Canon Gospel; weighed, measured and found forgiven by Jesus Christ.  To be a good Christian Jesus Christ has to forgive you, period.

Do not go to church to hear how to be a better doer.  That Canon Law can be done by anyone.  Go to church because God forgives even you.  Canon Gospel is for you.